- 📍 Half the young people nationally, who tried to get a bed in a crisis refuge in 2023/24 were turned away as services couldn’t accommodate them.
- 📍 43,226 children and young people (under 25 years of age) presented alone to a specialist homelessness service in 2024.
- 📍The highest rate of homelessness per 10,000 people in 2021 was among 19-24-year-olds (91 per 10,000) and 25-34-year-olds (70 per 10,000). Census 2021.
- 📍 Young females were more likely than males to be in supported accommodation for the homeless (26.6% vs. 20.3%) and staying temporarily with other households (9.9% vs. 8.5%). Census 2021.
- 📍 Young males were more likely than females to be living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out (2.3% vs. 2.0%), living in boarding houses (15% vs. 10.4%), and living in severely crowded dwellings (52% vs. 49.1%). Census 2021.
How Homelessness is defined
The Australian Bureau of Statistics categorises homelessness into six operational groups:
🔹 People living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out
🔹 People living in supported accommodation for the homeless
🔹 People staying temporarily with other households
🔹 People living in boarding houses
🔹 People living in temporary lodgings
🔹 People living in severely crowded dwellings
What is Youth Homelessness Matters Day?
On Wednesday, April 16, we recognise Youth Homelessness Matters Day — a day to raise awareness and encourage public discussion about child and youth homelessness. The national campaign is led by Yfoundations, the peak NSW body for youth homelessness. Burdekin is a member of Yfoundations.
43,226 children and young people (under 25 years of age) presented to a homelessness service seeking help during 2023-2024 and half were turned away due to a lack of resources (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2023-24.)
Why are young people homeless?
Domestic and family violence, the housing crisis and relationship/family breakdown were the main reasons for young people seeking assistance. Frontline services advised The Yfoundations that domestic family violence is overwhelmingly the most common reason why children and young people need a bed and help.
How can you help make a difference?
💰 Make a Payroll Donation – Donate just an hour of your pay to Burdekin on an ongoing basis, and help provide vital resources, safe spaces, and hope to young people in need. Your donation directly supports young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, providing them with safe housing, access to education, and essential support to build a brighter future.
🔗 Donate here:
🔗You can also donate to Burdekin via Yfoundations’ web site. Burdekin is featured as an organisation on their web site. Look out for the dialogue box (as seen below) on this web page and search for Burdekin.
Yfoundation’s Recommendations to the Federal Government:
- Fund the design and delivery of a National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Action Plan.
- Recognise and fund responses for children and young people experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence on their own.
- Review the model of indexation under the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness to ensure funding keeps pace with the real costs of service delivery.
- Raise Youth Allowance and Job Seeker to $88 a day (the Henderson Poverty Line).
What else can you do?
📝 Sign the Petition – Yfoundations is calling on the state and federal governments to make ending youth homelessness a national priority by developing a targeted plan and funding the services needed to achieve this objective.
🔗 Sign here
📬 Write to Your MP – Advocate for youth homelessness by writing to your local Member of Parliament. Request specific action, such as:
✔️ Making a public statement
✔️ Raising the issue with colleagues and ministers
✔️ Attending youth homelessness events
✔️ Engaging with media
🔗Find your local Federal Member of Parliament or Senator here.
🔗 Need help drafting a letter to your MP? Use this great MP Letter Writing Guide produced by the Council to Homeless Persons.
✨ Together, we can end youth homelessness. 🏠💙
